Medicare Parts B and D have played an important role in providing seniors with access to the lifesaving treatments they need and have been successful in delivering value to both the health care system and patients. Recently, these programs have become the subject of focus for policymakers looking to find ways to reduce overall costs for the government.

Some of the changes being considered would go a long way to help seniors who are facing higher out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy counter, including proposed reforms to Part D that would require insurers to share rebates with beneficiaries at the point of sale. However, while other proposals would cut costs for the government and insurers, they would provide little, if any, relief to seniors, could limit their access to much-needed medicines and could discourage continued medical innovation here in the United States.

To discuss these proposals and other potential solutions to improve the Medicare program, PhRMA, in partnership with The Atlantic, will bring together policymakers and key health care stakeholders in a conversation titled The State of Care: The Future of Medicare. The event will feature policymaker interviews, including with John O’Brien, senior advisor for Drug Pricing at the Department of Health and Human Services and two expert panels with key voices from across the health care continuum, including Liz Fowler, vice president of Global Health Policy at Johnson & Johnson. Additionally, in a sponsored conversation, Alliance for Health Policy’s president and CEO Sarah Dash with conduct a fireside chat with PhRMA president and CEO Stephen J. Ubl.

As we look to evolve Medicare for the future, we need to fully consider the far-reaching implications of each policy proposal not just on government spending but on the ability of seniors to access and afford their medicines. To learn more about ways we can help seniors pay less out of pocket and improve access in Medicare, visit www.prescriptionformedicare.org.

Andrew Powaleny Andrew Powaleny is Director of Public Affairs at PhRMA. Before joining PhRMA in 2015, he worked at the House Energy and Commerce Committee and later as a communications consultant. Andrew came to Washington, D.C. via Connecticut and proudly sings with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, runs with the DC Front Runners and serves on the Alumni Council for The Fund for American Studies. He is also a member of the National Lesbian Gay Journalists Association.